Pashinyan: Armenia Ready to Cooperate on Missing Persons

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia is prepared to cooperate with Azerbaijan to determine the fate of missing persons from both countries, citing humanitarian concerns as the driving principle.

Speaking to Public Radio of Armenia, Pashinyan noted that approximately 1,000 people have remained unaccounted for in Armenia since the 1990s. He stated that both nations have missing citizens and that clarifying their whereabouts requires bilateral cooperation and coordination between relevant government commissions.

Pashinyan emphasized that Armenia approaches the issue from a humanitarian perspective, while cautioning that some Azerbaijani circles have politicized the matter to fuel hostile rhetoric. He declined to disclose specific details of ongoing government work on the issue, citing "many nuances."

The prime minister also announced a 47 billion AMD increase to Armenia's defense budget, allocated toward armed forces development and national defense needs.